At least 13 people were wounded when gunfire erupted during a gathering at Spring Creek Park near Oklahoma City on Sunday night, leaving police without a suspect in custody as a heavily wooded crime scene complicated the hunt for evidence.
The shooting occurred around 9pm at the park, located roughly 15 miles northeast of downtown Oklahoma City near Arcadia Lake. Young people had assembled for what social media posts referred to as a "Sunday Funday" event when shots rang out without warning.
Edmond police reported no arrests by late Sunday evening. Department spokesperson Emily Ward acknowledged the gravity of the situation during a media briefing, stating that investigators were working intensively across the metropolitan area to interview victims and witnesses. "This is obviously a very terrifying situation and we understand the concern from the public and those involved and we are working extremely hard to find the suspects," Ward said.
The wooded terrain surrounding the shooting location has slowed investigative efforts. Officers have had to expand their search across multiple hospital locations where victims sought treatment.
Ten victims arrived at hospitals by ambulance, while others drove themselves for medical care. As of Monday morning, Integris Health Baptist medical center in Oklahoma City held 10 patients, while Integris Health Edmond hospital treated three more. Ward said those injured were in "various conditions."
One witness, Armani Kessee, described helping a female victim during the chaos. "She said she had got hit with a stray bullet," Kessee told KWTV News in a video posted to Instagram. "It's very sad to see someone that you know, that you love ... it's a very hard thing."
The Gun Violence Archive classified the incident as the 131st mass shooting in the United States this year, using the standard of at least four injured or killed victims, excluding the shooter.
Arcadia Lake, an artificial reservoir in the area, draws anglers, boaters and campers regularly. Edmond itself is a suburb of roughly 100,000 residents. The city carries the weight of previous tragedy: in August 1986, postal worker Patrick Sherrill opened fire at a local post office, killing 14 of 20 coworkers before taking his own life.
Author James Rodriguez: "A daylight mass shooting that left a dozen people bleeding at a campground, with the shooter still out there, feels like a new threshold in how casually violence touches American life."
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